ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes the central role of echocardiography in both the initial diagnosis and the quantification of the nature and severity of specific cardiovascular diseases. It is important to appreciate the relative strengths, weaknesses, and incremental value of information obtained by different echocardiographic methods. The American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the American Society of Echocardiography jointly published practice guidelines in 2003 for the use of echocardiography. These guidelines make recommendations about appropriate and inappropriate uses of echocardiography.
